Chapter 13

“This is your objective,” Professor Walsh said, gesturing to the image of the sub-terrestrial being projected onto the large white screen next to her. Riley stood off to one side of the screen, arms folded over his chest, his gaze flickering between his commander and the soldiers seated in rows before her.

“Sub-T: 67119. Demon class: Polgara species.” Walsh rattled off the stats with curt precision. “Though visual confirmation has not yet been made, we’re confident of the target’s approximate position as it leaves behind a distinct protein marker. Dr. Angelman will brief you on its defenses.”

*****

“I believe we’re looking for a Polgara demon,” Giles began, handing Buffy his book, opened to a picture of an ugly-looking demon with a long skewer protruding from its arm. “They’re non-sentient, which would explain the random attack and destructive behavior. Also, they, ah, have very good eyesight.”

“What’s the deal with the pokey thing?” Buffy asked, peering at the picture in the book.

“It’s a defense mechanism, a sharp bone skewer, which extends from its forearm when threatened.”

“Nice. So, don’t get too close is what you’re saying.”

*****

“It’s imperative when ensnaring it not to damage its arms,” Dr. Angelman directed the commandos. The overhead now had a second transparency overlaying the first, adding long, sharp protrusions from the demon’s arms. “That’s all you really need to know.”

As he stepped to the side, Professor Walsh said, “Agent Finn, deploy the teams.”

Riley nodded and walked out in front of the group, avoiding eye contact with his friends. “Okay, listen up. We’ll be going in a four squad set-up. Team Leaders: Gates, Taggart, and Stavros. Alpha Team, you’re with me.”

“Report to TLs for assignment and weapons requisitions,” Walsh added. “Remember, this is a zap-n-trap, people. Capture, not a kill. Any questions?”

*****

“What kills it?” Buffy asked.

“A good old-fashioned neck-breaking ought to do the trick,” Spike suggested.

“You with me?” she said, meeting his eyes intently, one hand on his arm, ignoring the looks exchanged by her friends.

He nodded. “Got your back, Slayer.”

“Good.” Buffy turned to the others. “We’ll take care of this one. I’ll report back when it’s done.”

As they headed out the door, Giles stared after them in confusion. “Have I missed something?” he asked the Scoobies. “Is there something going on here, and everyone knows it but me?”

*****

“So… I guess this is kind of like a date.”

Spike gave Buffy a perplexed look, glancing down at his side and then back up at her. “You, uh, want to hold hands or something?”

“That wasn’t what I… um, okay. I guess.” Feeling like they were back in fifth grade, she tentatively reached out and clasped his hand in hers.

“Do you always take your dates out to kill something?” he asked her as they trekked through the woods.

Buffy thought for a moment. Angel and Riley had both patrolled with her. Parker hadn’t known about the Slayer thing, but she did have to save him from those Neanderthals with the beer. Hell, even poor Owen had had a run-in with a vamp. “Actually… yeah.”

“Yeah… me, too.” He shrugged, slightly sheepish. “Course, for me it was usually humans.”

She shot him a dirty look, snatching her hand away. “Okay, you’re gonna have to try harder not to remind me that you used to be evil.”

“Used to be?” he retorted indignantly. “Still am!”

“Riiight. What’re you gonna do, put your game face on and menace old ladies into giving you their handbags?”

“Hey! I don’t make fun of your disabilities!”

She smirked at him. “That’s because I don’t have any.”

“Well, there’s your intelligence,” he teased, which immediately wiped the grin off her face.

“Did you just call me stupid?”

“Course not,” he said innocently.

“Spike!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I,” he said, stopping in his tracks and pulling her close to him, kissing her breathless. “Think you’re bloody amazing, Buffy.”

She punched him in the arm. “You better.”

As they started walking again, Buffy said hesitantly, “Did you mean what you said?”

“Of course. You’re incredible, pet.”

“Not that. About… still being evil.” She turned to look at him. “This is serious, Spike. I can’t do this if it goes against my duty as a Slayer. I need to know that you’re not gonna…”

“What? Follow my nature? Still a vampire, even if I can’t kill.” He stopped again, this time to run his fingers through the hair framing her face as he met her gaze. Cupping her cheek, he said, “You know I can’t hurt anyone, so there’s that. As for the rest, I’ll do my best to be good, love. Want to keep you happy.”

Unexpectedly, Buffy’s eyes grew wide with alarm. “Demon!” she warned, shoving him aside as the Polgara attacked from the brush behind him. She quickly delivered two kicks to its head and chest, driving it backwards before it managed to catch her leg and flip her onto the ground.

Spike launched himself at the demon from behind, slamming his fist into the back of its neck and then kicking out its knees. The Polgara fell, one of its skewers shooting out of its forearm. It swept the skewer in Spike’s direction, and he had to jump to avoid getting stabbed in the leg.

Buffy was back on her feet, but the Polgara was, too, now with both skewers fully extended. She grabbed the demon by both arms, holding them away from her as she kneed it in the stomach. Coming up from behind again, Spike clasped his fists together and brought them around in a swinging motion, clubbing the demon in the head.

Flinging Buffy aside, the Polgara spun, aiming its skewer for Spike’s throat. He barely missed being impaled, dodging at the last minute. As he kept the demon occupied, Buffy scrambled up and jumped on its back. With both hands, she whipped the demon’s head around, snapping its neck.

The Polgara crumpled to the ground with Buffy landing on top of it. Spike pulled her to her feet and swept her up in a desperate, passionate kiss.

“See?” Buffy giggled. “Killing things is an excellent date activity.”

*****

“He’s still pissed at us,” Forrest grumbled, crouched behind a bush while Graham scanned the area using night vision goggles, the other soldiers at attention behind them.

“He made you team leader, didn’t he?” Graham replied, lowering the goggles and peering through the brush.

“That’s not the point. He doesn’t want us under his command. He doesn’t trust us.”

“Well, we did drug his girlfriend. Would you trust us?”

“You drugged her,” Forrest snapped. “And considering what she did afterwards, we did him a favor. At least now Riley knows what kind of girl she is.”

“She says she was raped,” Graham insisted.

“You saw the tape. What’d it look like to you?”

“She’s a nice girl, Forrest. I don’t wanna –” He cut himself off abruptly as he spotted something through the goggles. “Hang on. Got something.”

“Target?”

“Negative.” He passed the goggles to Forrest. Peering into them, Forrest could see Spike and Buffy locked in an embrace – and didn’t that just prove his point right there? – next to what appeared to be their target, already dead.

“Hel-lo, Hostile 17.”

“We can’t,” Graham said, putting up a hand to stop him from reaching for his weapon. “Buffy’s in the way.”

“She’s the ex now.” He turned to the soldiers behind him. “You three – standard flanking. Go.”

“Don’t hit the girl if you don’t have to,” Graham ordered, ignoring the fact that Forrest outranked him. The three commandos hurried off to their positions.

*****

“Spike, look out!” Buffy cried, as one of the commandos rushed out of the trees carrying a heavy net.

Spike spun around quickly and caught the net in his fist before the soldier could throw it. He swung it around, slamming the soldier into a nearby tree. A second commando charged, aiming his taser rifle at Spike, but Buffy kicked it out of his hands and then knocked him to the ground.

Flinching at the pain from the chip, Spike called out, “Buffy, come on!” She was still fighting a third soldier, but managed to drop him with a punch and then fled into the woods on Spike’s heels.

*****

From his vantage point in the bushes, Forrest tracked Spike in the sight of his rifle scope.

“Careful,” Graham warned him.

He pulled the trigger, hitting the target in the shoulder. “Alert Control and Alpha Team,” he instructed Graham. “We’ve tagged Hostile 17 with a tracer and we’re in pursuit.”

*****

Spike stumbled as he felt a sharp, piercing pain in his left shoulder. He clutched the leather with his other hand and felt a small hole where the bullet had gone through his coat. “Bloody hell!”

“You’re hit,” Buffy said, trying to push his hand away. “Let me see.”

“No time,” he replied, shaking her off. “They’ll be on us any minute. Gotta keep running.”

They took off with supernatural speed, plowing through trees and bushes, unable to avoid leaving a discernible trail, but at least the brush provided some cover to keep them from being shot at. When they reached the edge of the woods, Buffy skidded to a stop.

“Now where? They’ll have no trouble spotting us without cover.”

Spike scanned the area and spotted a sewer grate. “Down.”

“Oh, goody,” Buffy grumbled. “Sewers.”

“Know ’em pretty well by now. Even if they follow us, I’m sure I can lose them.”

“Down it is, then.”

Spike pried the grate up and gestured for her to go. “Ladies first.”

Buffy slipped into the hole, climbing down the ladder and landing in a puddle with a splash. Spike followed, pulling the grate closed behind him.

“Which way?”

Grabbing her by the hand, he took off down one of the tunnels with Buffy in tow. “This way. Come on.”

Their route twisted and turned through the sewers, often doubling back, as Spike tried to ditch their Initiative tail. Buffy had completely lost all sense of direction, and would’ve been utterly hopeless at finding her way out on her own. She clung to Spike, unable to see well in the dark, trusting him to lead her.

Suddenly, he stopped, shoving Buffy up against the damp tunnel wall, the length of his body pressed to hers. She started to protest that this was no time for naughtiness, but he held one finger to her lips to keep her quiet. He splayed his other hand out on the wall, as though he were feeling vibrations through the cement or something.

“Bloody hell,” he breathed, after a moment of listening intently. “They’re right above us.”

“How is that possible? I don’t even know where we are, and I’ve been here the whole time.”

“Dunno, but we can’t stay here.” Snatching up her hand, he took off again at a sprint, and Buffy stumbled trying to keep up. As her arm was yanked nearly out of its socket, she heard Spike cry out in pain, and they both fell to their knees, sinking into the muck.

“Are you okay?” she asked him breathlessly.

“Fine,” he grunted. “You?” When she nodded, he prodded her to get up. “Gotta move, love.”

They tore down another maze of tunnels, crisscrossing beneath the town until Buffy felt as though they could be in Los Angeles by now if they’d just run in a straight line. “Spike, come on,” she pleaded. “We have to have lost them by now.”

Spike hesitated a moment before nodding. Slowing to a walk, he led her to the nearest sewer entrance and climbed out. “Looks clear,” he said, offering her a hand up.

“My shoes are soaked,” Buffy complained, “and I smell like a toilet.”

“Good thing I’m used to it,” he said with a grin, leaning in to give her a kiss. Suddenly, he stiffened. “You hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“It’s them.”

Buffy’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s not possible.” With growing dread, she grabbed Spike and spun him around, pulling his duster off his shoulder to take a look at his injury. “Spike… your wound. It’s blinking.”

“It’s what?”

“I don’t think that’s a bullet. It’s a tracking device.”